A 100% unapproved statement of 100% approval

Having just complained about cold remedies that don’t work, I thought I should praise one of the best remedies I have encountered to date. While I mentioned it in a previous post, this stuff is so effective that I thought it merited a post all its own. I refer to “African Sea Coconut” brand cough syrup. Yes, that’s quite a name, and it sounds downright kooky. I was a bit skeptical when I bought it the other day, because I had never heard of it, and I am a victim of chronic cough, so when I get an additional cough from a cold it becomes unendurable, and nothing really works except codeine.

Anyway, I was in a jam on Tuesday, because I knew the big storm was coming, and my cough had become disabling. So I thought I would drive to the local Chinese market and just ask the guy behind the medicine counter for whatever cough syrup was popular with customers and I would give that a try. I bought a bottle, took it home, and swallowed 2/3 of a Tablespoon full. I expected it to taste awful, and I was surprised how mild and good tasting it was. But what I really didn’t expect was that it would stop my cough dead in its tracks! It was at least as effective as codeine that I had to get for last year’s coughing fits, but without the side effects. Moreover, it seems to eliminate whatever that mysterious inflammation is at the junction of the bronchi and esophagous that triggers the irresistible impulse to cough. 

[A commenter takes issue with my saying “junction of the bronchi and esophagus.” I meant to refer to the area where the trachea, larynx, pharynx, are separated from the esophagus by the epiglottal flap. It gets inflamed and triggers the cough reflex. The important point is that coughing is not solely or necessarily caused by bronchial tract inflammation.]

I have been taking it every four hours during the day, and before going to bed. Not only is the cough from the cold history, but I am not having my “normal” and usual late night and early morning coughing fits. It is no exaggeration to say that this amazing stuff has not only stopped my acute cough, it also seems to have stopped my chronic cough.

As to what it is, the label lists four active ingredients:

1. Tolu Balsam 

(seems to be a less-than-adequately researched substance which is considered to have anti-cough and anti-inflammatory properties — none of which have been medically documented)

2. Squill bulb (contains “scillaren” and other substances I’ve never heard of)

Squill is a strong and effective expectorant, a medicine that stimulates the production of phlegm, and is widely used to cure unrelieved bronchitis, particularly when there is low sputum production leading to an irritating dry cough. Usage of squill aids in the secretion of a liquefied mucus that smoothens the progress of expectoration. At the same time, the mucilage substance makes the bronchiole passages simpler and calms them down and in this way helps the stimulation of the glycosides. Many herbal physicians also use squill to heal bronchial asthma as well as whooping cough.

3. Ipecacuanha (aka Ipecac), which contains emetidine and cepaeline:

The properties of ipecacuanha are virtually those of its principal alkaloids, emetine and cephaeline. In small doses it is a powerful expectorant, its action lasting several hours. Large doses are powerfully irritant to the whole gastro-intestinal tract, and produce vomiting and diarrhoea. The powdered drug is extremely irritating to the nasal and laryngeal mucous membrane, producing violent sneezing and coughing. Ipecacuanha is used in small doses as an expectorant in acute and chronic bronchitis and in cough when secretion is scanty. It is well borne by children, and is largely used in croup and whooping cough.

4. Licorice root

If this writeup is any indication, it is a powerful and very complicated substance.

While its flavor might please a lot of people and it might be useful to a certain extend in the treatment of coughs, colds and certain other ailments, its potency and toxicity will always be a matter of concern. Its use in large doses and for an extended period of time is certainly not advisable.

Its affinity for the endocrine system makes licorice a most remarkable herb, which when used judiciously can be very helpful in treating many human ailments. Licorice has an anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and antiarthritic effect similar to that of cortisone but without its side effects. This is because of glycyrrhizin which has a structure similar to hormones produced by the adrenal glands. Its antiallergic effect makes it very useful in treating allergic rhinitis, hay fever, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Licorice has mild estrogenic properties and can be very helpful during menopause. It gets these properties from the steroid like compounds present in it which can change to estrogen precursors like estradiol and estrone. Licorice can act as a mild laxative and can also relieve indigestion and heartburn by lowering stomach acid levels.
The herb is popularly used to ease irritation and for inflammation and spasm in the digestive tract. Licorice is reputed to heal ulcers. The herb acts on the liver and helps increase bile flow and it also helps lower cholesterol levels. Licorice helps the body to built up resistance to stress by acting on the adrenal glands. It has a soothing and healing effect on the respiratory system and helps to ease irritation and inflammation. Because of its expectorant properties it is used in treating colds, coughs, asthma and chest infections. Like aspirin, licorice is useful in relieving headaches and fevers. The herb is handy for people coming off orthodox steroid medications as it has the effect of revitalizing or energizing the body. Anti-allergenic effect of licorice is very useful for hay fever, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis and bronchial asthma. Licorice is quite useful in bringing back the liveliness when one is feeling tired or fatigue especially after surgery or during convalescence. It is a good stress reliever- both physical and emotional.

Documentary and other scientific evidence suggest that licorice was known and was put to a variety of uses for many centuries, generally as medicine and as a flavoring agent of food and other medicinal herbs. From ancient literature, primarily those of Hippocrates and Pliny the elder, the herb’s use as medicine is evident. The use of the dried roots and rhizomes of the plant as a digestive aid and for coughs and colds is clearly described. Further more, a piece of licorice dating back to the eighth century was recently discovered- it still contained active principles of the herb.

The entry goes on and on. Much of it is confirmed in the Wiki licorice entry. Frankly, I’m surprised there isn’t more medical interest in licorice root alone.

Ipecacuanha is one of those herbs that has been used for a long time in Western medicine as was Squill, but they seem to have fallen by the wayside. 

I was reminded of this infuriatingly amusing dialogue from my favorite W.C. Fields film “It’s a Gift” — in which a mother and her daughter torment poor Harold Bisonette (the Fields character, who is trying to sleep off his usual hangover) as they discuss whether to buy Ipecac or Syrup of Squill:

Mrs. Dunk: Don’t forget the ipecac!
Abby: I thought you said syrup of squill.
Mrs. Dunk: I can’t hear you, talk louder!
Abby: I thought you said syrup of squill.
Mrs. Dunk: All right, syrup of squill. I don’t care.
Abby: I don’t care either. I’ll get ipecac if you want me to.
Mrs. Dunk: Well, ipecac or syrup of squill. I don’t care which.
Abby: I don’t care either. You tell me what to get and I’ll get it.
Mrs. Dunk: Get whichever one you want. I don’t care. Whatever they have handy. It’s just the same to me.
Abby: It’s just the same to me, too. I hate ’em both. Oh, where will I go? To Jones’s?
Mrs. Dunk: Use your own judgment.
Abby: No, you tell me where to go.

Harold: I’d like to tell you both where to go!

Mrs. Dunk (loudly complaining): There’s no use dear. I can’t hear a word you’re saying. Somebody’s shouting on the floor below. So you’d better run along.

Ipecac or Syrup of Squill? I don’t know; is it both, or either? Or is it the Licorice root, or the Tolu Balsam. Or maybe the combination effect. But something in that little bottle works. Better than any cough remedy I have ever tried.

I am hardly alone; read the glowing Amazon comments. Or this post by a young American of Asian descent, who was skeptical when his mom gave him a bottle until he tried it:

…my cough was so bad that I couldn’t even sleep without coughing my lungs out and waking up throughout the night. While hesitant to run home and tell mommy where it hurts, like most inquisitive mothers, my mom found out about my chronic cough soon enough.

Naturally, my mom gave me the most ridiculous cough syrup for me to try.

…African Sea Coconut syrup. Yes, whatever thoughts that are going through your mind right now were exactly those that went through mine.

Yet despite my reservations, the remedy worked like a charm. The rest of the labels is in Chinese so I really have no idea what the rest of the ingredients are.

In terms of growing up as a young Asian-American, my experience with this magical juice reminded me of the outright rejection most Westerners have towards Eastern medicine (not only Chinese medicine). Westerners historically have been reluctant to accept Asian chiropractors, accupuncture, herbs, medicine, and in my case – African Sea Coconut Juice.

As he had a picture of his bottle; I thought I would share mine:

Notice the look of skepticism and concern on Coco’s face. Skepticism because she doesn’t know whether it would work for kennel cough. And concern because the name of the product, obviously. She is worried that it might be some sort of personal insult against her, and she also fears the brand name might cause confusion, and possibly even dilute the name recognition of the one and only Coco. I told her she’s just being paranoid.

Anyway, I’m very impressed by this product. It’s nice to find something that works that the federal government hasn’t messed with.

And I am proud to say that my “statements have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA.“

(Hell, what good is the First Amendment if it doesn’t apply to opinions about the efficacy of cough syrup?)